Lags for looms



2,954,059 LAGS FOR LooMs Valentino Balduini, Comerio, Varese, and Ettore Balduini, Brenta, Varese, Italy The present invention relates to a lag for looms and specifically to a lag for the control of the healds and shuttle change boxes, in looms with or without dobby machine. The lag according to the invention is made of a material which is unaifected by the temperature and moisture Variations in the working rooms and is of such construction that the pattern can be set by hand with apposite pegs capable of being locked in place, without requiring any tools.

It is known that the dobby machines of the looms control the healds through the so-called lags carrying inserted pegs, and joined together by iron chain rings thus forming a kind of trellis-work.

The lags heretofore in use are made of wood and are provided with small holes wherein there are forced the Wooden or steel pegs in a quantity and in the relative positions such as to provide the pattern wanted for the fabric and its salvages.

The pegs are usually inserted by means of a hammer and extracted with hammer, bodkin and pliers, with evi dent waste of time and labour. The moisture and temperature variations in the textile working ambients cause remarkable changes in dimensions of the wood parts and the frequent drop-out of the lags, thus causing faults in the production of the fabric.

When a peg has dropped out of a lag it is necessary to find out the defective lag and provide for its repair or replacement as well as for the mending of the badly executed fabric.

The system now in use is therefore expensive both as to the time required for setting-up and disassembling the patterns, and as to the expenses for repairing the weaving errors.

An object of the present invention is to provide a satisfactory solution to this problem.

The lag according to the invention is characterized by mortices suitable for holding and locking therein, and unlocking and taking away apposite pegs, said lag and the pegs being made of material which is practically unaffected by the moisture and temperature variations in the working ambients.

The lag and pegs are made of any suitable plastic or other similar material. The lag is designed so that the pegs may be inserted by hand, into the cor-responding mortices and fixed therein without requiring the use of a hammer or the like, said lags being fixed or locked in place by means of a small shaped rod of suitable material that slides longitudinally in another longitudinally extending mortice in the lag which is common to all the inserted pegs.

The reverse operation of extracting the pegs, for the eventual change of pattern is even quicker to perform, inasmuch as by taking out the shaped rod all pegs are immediately freed and can be removed from the lag without the need of tools, leaving the lag ready for receiving the lags of a new pattern combination.

In order to prevent any displacement of the looking rod United States Patent M, 2,954,059 Patented Sept. 27, 950

during the operation of the loom, the rod is locked in the lag through simple and suitable means. 1

The pegs are of a single asymmetrical type, so as to provide for the staggered formation of the pattern by simply inserting them in one position or the other.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates anembodiment of the invention: ,2

Fig. l is a plan view of the lag of the invention.

Fig. 2 shows the same lag in side view, partially sec= tioned.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the rod serving for locking the pegs.

"Fig. 4 is an end view of the lag shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a front view of an asymmetric peg.

Fig. 6 is a corresponding side view, and

Fig. 7 represents this same peg, turned by with respect to Fig. 5.

The lag as illustrated comprises the body 1, of an elongated shape with a trapezoidal longitudinal section, preferably made of a thermoplastic resin.

In the body of the leg there are formed mortices 2, '2' which also have a substantially trapezoidal section, if taken along a plane perpendicular to the axis AB, and a rectangular cross section, if taken along a plane parallel to AB. The pegs are inserted into the proper mortices 2, 2 to obtain the desired pattern.

Each peg (refer to Figs. 5 and 7) is asymmetrical in respect to its axis and comprises a portion 3' constituting a hand-grip and a base portion 3, adapted to fit into the mortices 2 or 2'.

The base portion 3 is provided with a hole 5 for the passage of the locking rod 7. The pegs also are made of plastic material.

Fas-tened to the body 1 of the lag are the chain rings 8, while at the left end of the lag there is provided a slot 9 adapted to receive the locking cotter-pin 10 for the rod 7, said cotter-pin comprising a thin strip shaped as shown in Fig. 4. t

The pegs are placed in position as follows: After removing the cotter-pin 10, by acting at the opposite end, that is in B, in the direction shown by the arrow 11, with an appropriate pusher (not shown), that can have the form of an auxiliary rod provided with a hand-grip, the rod 7 is extracted and thus all the pegs 3 are simultaneously freed. New pegs are now easily inserted in the chosen morticles 2-2 so as to form another fabric pattern. Thereupon the rod 7 is reinserted and locked in position by the cotter-pin 10 in the slot 9, so that all pegs are now automatically locked. Upon completion of the fabric with that pattern, the rod 7 is removed to unlock the pegs and the whole can be set up for a new pattern.

From the above description it is apparent how quickly and easily it is possible to change the arrangement of the pegs; in contrast to what happens with the usual lags.

What we claim is:

1. A lag for looms of the type suitable for weaving geometrical patterns, comprising a bar of quadrangular cross section, said bar comprising a plurality of mortices extending inwardly from one side thereof and transversely with respect to the length of the bar and a substantially straight longitudinal bore extending lengthwise thereof and intersecting two opposite sides of each of said mortices adjacent a central portion of the latter, in combination with a plurality of pegs, each peg comprising a base portion adapted to be inserted on one of said mortices and a pin portion adapted to extend above said mortices, said base portion having a hole extending therethrough adapted to coincide with the longitudinal bore in said bar when the base portion is inserted in a mortice, and a rod adapted to extend through said longitudinal bore of said bar and through the holes in the bases of said pegs inserted in the mortices.

3 4 2. A lag as claimed in claim 1 in which said bar and said bar, the hole in the base of said peg being eccentric said pegs are formed of thermoplastic resinous material with respect to said peg so that the same peg is adapted to which is unafl'ected by temperature and oi t i have its hole coincide with said bore in both alternate tions. 7 types of mortices.

3. A lag as claimed in claim 1 in Whiohsaid morti ces 5 in said bar "are of a symmetrical trapezoidal cross'sec- References Cited in the file of this patent tional shape in which the base portions of said pegs are UNITED STATES PATENTS of corresponding cross sectional shape. 386,472 Iowett July 24, 1888 4. A lag as claimed in claim 1 in which the montices 407,621 Stafford July 23, 1889 of said bar are alternately staggered toward the sides of 10 436,274 Thomson Sept. 9, 1890 

